Program Profile: YWCA of Minneapolis Downtown Children’s Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota

At the YWCA of Minneapolis Downtown Children’s Center, a curriculum with an anti-bias component helps children develop positive attitudes about their own identity and the differences in others.

Program Overview
Child care has been a focus of the work of the YWCA of Minneapolis for more than 30 years. According to Deby Ziesmer, vice president of early childhood education, “In the 1980s the YWCA Early Childhood Education programs were refocused to meet the needs of low-income families. The new model included an expanded scholarship program and increased participation in federal, state, and local child care reimbursement programs. The curriculum was designed to address developmental concerns common among children from low income families, prevent bias formation, and promote nonviolent behavior.”

Family Engagement Program Practices

Family Participation in Decision Making
The staff encourage families to participate in making decisions at all levels. When parents enroll their children in the program, they complete a checklist of Family Engagement Goals that introduces the different ways families can get involved in supporting their child’s education. Families select their own goals, and the program provides supports and resources (such as ideas for activities or community events) to help parents achieve those goals. Staff periodically check to see how families are doing. The list of goals includes

• I will read to my child(ren) at home at least four times a week.
• I will do an art project with my child(ren) two times a month.
• I will attend at least one program event this year.
• I will help in my child’s classroom at least once this year.
• I will attend at least one low- or no-cost event with my child(ren) offered in the community this year.

Family Participation in Program-Level Decision Making
The program also encourages parents to advocate at the state and local level for high-quality early childhood education. Staff get parents involved by mobilizing their participation in letter writing or postcard campaigns and visits to elected officials. The YWCA also works in partnership with other community organizations such as the Children’s Defense Fund and the United Way Early Learning Initiative to increase its advocacy impact.

The YWCA supports the needs of the diverse community it serves. Ziesmer observes, “Because the families most affected by decreased state funding for child care assistance are often low-income families, single-parent families, families of color, or immigrant families, there are numerous barriers to becoming effective political advocates. The YWCA is uniquely positioned to support families in overcoming barriers and voicing their concerns about the accessibility of quality early education. With our support, the families most affected talk to elected officials about the impact cuts have in their lives and the lives of their children.”

Two-Way Communication
The YWCA’s primary caregiver model supports and encourages communication about each child. Each child is assigned to a primary caregiver who spends significant time with a primary care group of children and handles the group’s routines (eating, napping, toileting/diapering, and so on). The caregiver, as the person who spends the most time with the child, communicates with the family daily. This continuity of care helps the caregiver, child, and family come to know and trust each other very well over time.

A Comprehensive Program-Level System
A curriculum with an anti-bias component is the foundation of the Children’s Center’s program-level system for engaging diverse families. The program’s anti-bias focus, built on the work of Louise Derman-Sparks, helps children develop positive attitudes about their own identity and the differences in others. For example,

• The environment includes images, sounds, textures, activities, and foods from diverse cultures.
• Classrooms showcase nonstereotypical images of different cultures, with a focus on current times, nonsexist images of men and women in nontraditional roles, and images of people with disabilities.
• Program staff model and support friendships, nontraditional gender roles, and various family configurations.
• Staff members are prepared to engage in respectful conversations with children about differences, help them develop the language to talk about differences, and intervene in biased behavior or language, without shaming.

Interactions with and about families show respect for and approval of families’ backgrounds, differing childrearing practices, customs, and family configurations. For example,

• Teachers individually consult with families to learn as much about their childrearing customs as possible. This provides consistency for the children.
• The program celebrates the holidays its families celebrate, including Cinco de Mayo, Eid, and the Chinese New Year.
• On Family Tradition Days, parents are invited to their child’s classroom to share a family tradition with the group.

These efforts have an impact on children and families. One parent reports, “I love the diversity of both the staff and families. I look forward to the daily notes, newsletters, and monthly room calendars. I feel like the staff has created a real community. The teachers in many rooms know all the kids. The front desk staff knows the kids and families and looks genuinely happy to see us each morning. We love the program and are happy that we are all a part of a great community.”

Developed for NAEYC's Engaging Diverse Families Project through a generous grant from the Picower Foundation.
© National Association for the Education of Young Children.